Introduction
My 4th Hiking Sundays hike was a participation at "The Clean Monday Porto Timoni" Hike organised again from the Corfu Hiking and Climbing club on February 2024. The Hike took place the "Clean or Ash Monday" Bank Holiday around the Porto Timoni and Ag. Georgios of Pagoi beach and it was accompanied by a home-made buffet and a traditional celebration of the club's New Year's Cake called "Vassilopita" in Greek or "St. Basil's Cake". For those who don't know it is a great tradition for every single family, club, organisation or company in Greece to celebrate New Year with a special celebrational cake during the first month of the year. However, for the Corfu Hiking and Climbing Club, it took us a while to organise it but trust me if you read this post you will understand that it was worth for waiting.
The Corfu Hiking and Climbing Club
Corfu Hiking and Climbing Club is a well established hiking club in the island of corfu organising hikes and climbs not only in the Corfu countryside but also in the more mountainous Greek mainland especially in the closer regions of Epirus, Macedonia and SW Greece.
As it was translated from its website, its purpose is
...the systematic cultivation and dissemination of all forms of hiking, as well as the protection and promotion of the Greek mountainous area and environment. Some of its individual goals are also the strengthening of every event related to cultural, spiritual and social development and the dissemination and preservation of the folklore tradition of the place. Also, the objectives include its active involvement in matters of protection of the mountainous nature and the environment in general, either autonomously or in collaboration with other relevant Greek and International organizations and associations private or public. It also takes care of the cleaning and maintenance of the paths within the regional unit of Corfu.
Founded in 2017 by a mere 28 founding members, it now consists of more than 250 members participating in weekend hikes in Corfu but also in the Greek mainland according to its annual schedule.
The Trip
Probably it wasn't the ideal Sunday for a hike, the weather was quite windy and rainy at corfu town and organisers feared that the weather will be worse on the countryside. Yet, the decision was taken not to cancel the hike and if the weather deteriorates to drive to Acharavi just for a coffee and then continue with the celebration of the club's new year's cake. The road was quite long and the bus had to pass through narrow roads full of turns of several villages of north west Corfu, so everybody was quite tired already when we reached the start of the hike at Afionas Village. A good hike was everything everyone needed!
The Memorial of a Greek Hero
At Afionas village just before we started descending at Porto Timoni, someone can notice a memorial for Ektoras Gialopsos who has fallen defending his country at the rocky isle of Imia during a Greek-Turkish military crisis in 1996. Gialopsos origin was from Afionas so the locals couldn't be less proud for the hero of the village and Greece, they built a memorial of his glory and naming the square of the village as "Ektoras Gialopsos Square".
The Porto Timoni
Porto Timoni is a rocky peninsula exactly under Afionas village that forms 2 twin beaches on the north west coast of Corfu. The view from above is magnificent and the beaches are very popular during summer to tourists especially to naturist because the area consists also a national reserve. To be honest, although I was born in Corfu, I never had the chance before to visit Porto Timoni, so I was really grateful that I have finally made it.
The descent was indeed quite easy although the rocky path, however I was already thinking to save energy for the ascension afterwards.
Still, I managed to take several photos of the nearby Ag. Georgios beach which was hit badly from the waves of the Ionian Sea.
Soon, the company managed to reach the twin beaches of the Porto Timoni which has been our organised finish of the hike. However many brave hikers decided to take the extra mile and reach the top of the peninsula hill through a jungle of flora and wild bushes.
Before reaching the top of the hill, the jungle path lead us to the chapel of Agios Stylianos. According to tradition, an icon of Saint Stylianos was found in the area by the locals who decided to move it at the village's main church. However, out of a miraculous way, during one night, the icon was transported back at Porto Timoni where it was initially founded. Therefore, the locals decided never to move the icon again and built a chapel in the memory of Saint Stylianos.
Ag. Georgios of Pagoi Beach
After our return from Porto Timoni, the team made a long break waiting for everyone to return from the difficult uphill ascension and we continued our trip towards the Agios Georgios of Pagoi beach. The beach in English can be translated as "Saint George of Ice" beach because the water even in the middle of the summer is completely cold as ice due to an underwater cold stream that ends at the beach.
The Celebration
In the end of the long but flat hike at the beach through the several villas, rooms to let and shops, the company reached a restaurant that opened exclusively for us preparing a wonderful a mix of a home-made buffet combined with starters from the restaurant and a warm casserole of beans soup known in Greek as "Fassolada" which it was the ideal meal for that cold and rainy hike, all free for the celebration of the club members.
In the end of the meal, all the members celebrated the cutting of the "New Years Cake" of the club, which was shared with all the members of the club.
Analytics
First of all, this time i have managed to record the whole hike without interruptions, although the weather was quite cloudy. Yet, it was more a celebration rather than a good exercise if we exclude the ascension part of Porto Timoni.
According to STRAVA App analytics, during my hike, I covered a total distance of just 3.21 miles within just 1 hour and 23 mins executing just 8,540 steps and an elevation gain of just 451 ft. Again the Average Pace was a bit faster than the previous hikes due to the flat most of times ground at 25:52 mins/mile.
Final Thoughts
Yes, to be honest, I wasn't expecting just a lovely Sunday Hike with the Corfu Hiking and Climbing Club. Visiting Porto Timoni was a great experience. Eventhough I was born in Corfu, I never had the opportunity to visit it and I would like to thank the club for providing this opportunity. Moreover, the feast was a great surprise as well. Nobody informed me about this and I was just prepared for just another Sunday Hike. However the celebration atmosphere, the socialising, the fasolada buffet itself and the New Year's Cake was a remarkable experience that I really wanted to share with you. Sunday Hike aren't just solo hiking events where everyone hikes for himself but also a cultural and social celebrational event and for one more time, the organisation of the event was awesome!
Unfortunately, that was my last Sunday Hike so far. Job obligations of the touristic season refused me to occupy myself with anything else than my job. Forget Crypto, Forget Hikes, Just Work. Hopefully in the near future I would be able to participate in more Sunday hikes of the Corfu Hiking and Climbing Club and I would be more than happy to share this experience with you.
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